Table A:(1)What did you open with this West hand F in
this week’s quiz? This was the popular choice.

Table B:(1)This player is firm believer in deducting a
point for the terrible totally flat 4333 type shape and so passed, and this is
my answer to question F.

And what happened? The deal was passed out at two
tables for a good score to E-W. Other results were 1NT-2 twice, 1♠-1 and 1NT(S)-1.

The bottom lines:

-Deduct
a point for the totally flat 4333 type shape, it sucks in both suit contracts
and NT.

Defence Quiz

Dealer:♠J983Book
Bidding

South♥ AQWestNorthEastSouth

E-W vul♦Q532---1♠

♣
A73pass2NT(1)3♦4♠(2)

♠ Q106N

♥ 1086543WE(1)Jacoby 2NT

♦8S(2)Minimum.

♣
854

You are West, defending 4♠. You lead the ♦8 and your partner
wins the ♦K, cashes the ♦A and continues with the ♦6 on which declarer discards the ♣9. How do
you defend?

Defence Quiz
Answer

Dealer:♠J983Book
Bidding

South♥ AQWestNorthEastSouth

E-W vul♦Q532---1♠

♣
A73pass2NT(1)3♦4♠(2)

♠ Q106N♠ 5

♥ 1086543WE♥ J2West leads the ♦A.

♦8S♦AK10976

♣
854♣ KQ62

♠ AK742

♥
K97(1)Jacoby
2NT

♦ J4(2)Minimum

♣ J109

At trick one your partner wins the ♦K, cashes the ♦A and
continues with the ♦6 on which declarer discards the ♣9. How do you defend?

The question is whether or not to ruff the ♦. Although it looks
tempting to ruff with the ♠Q you would effectively be ruffing a loser with a sure trump trick.
When you ruffed, declarer would play a low ♦ from dummy and would
later be able to discard another loser from his hand on dummy’s ♦Q.

It is better to discard. You will later make your ♠Q and your
partner will come to a ♣ trick.

Dave’sColumnHere is Dave’s 2nd
problem, again on declarer play.

WestEastBook
Bidding

♠ 7♠ AJ3WestNorthEastSouth

♥ J1094♥ A53--1NTpass

♦AK3♦Q1092♣pass2♦pass

♣
K10732♣ AQ953♣pass4♣pass

4♠pass6♣all
pass

You are West, declarer in 6♣. North leads a low ♠, plan the play.

Dave’s Column
AnswerBoard 22 from Wednesday 25th
August

Dealer:♠K10852Book
Bidding

East♥ K72WestNorthEastSouth

E-W vul♦J52--1NTpass

♣
J62♣pass2♦pass

3♣pass4♣pass

♠ 7N♠ AJ34♠(1)pass6♣all pass

♥ J1094WE♥ A53

♦AK3S♦Q109

♣
K10732♣ AQ95(1)shortage in their system.

♠ Q964

♥
Q86

♦ 8764

♣ 84

North leads a (4th best) ♠5, plan the play.

Draw trumps ending in dummy. Once they divide
2-2 you can claim. Ruff a ♠, cross to the ♦Q, ruff dummy’s last ♠, cash the ♦AK and run the ♥J. South will be
endplayed to concede a ruff and discard, or to return a ♥ into declarer’s combined tenace. Had the
trumps been 3-1 the elimination would not work, so declarer would take two ♥ finesses which works when North has at least
one of the missing ♦ honours.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 6♣=, 3NT+3, 3NT+2 three times and 2♣+4. Unfortunately the ♠K and ♠J
were interchanged when the deal was set up and so East did not open 1NT, but
the problem is still probably valid.

Terry note: The lead was said to be 4th
best. However many only play 4th best leads against NoTrumps, but
that again does not really affect the problem.

Dave’s 2nd
ColumnHere
is Dave’s 1st problem, on defence.

NorthSouthBook
Bidding

♠Q8732♠ AKJ109WestNorthEastSouth

♥ J♥
AK62---1♠

♦A753♦ J964pass4♥(1)pass6♠

♣
AJ5♣
-all
pass

(1)splinter.

You are South, declarer in 6♠. West leads ♦2 and you win with the ♦A in dummy with East
dropping the ♦K – most likely a true card and so a singleton.
What is the best play for twelve tricks?

Dave’s 2nd Column AnswerBoard
23 from Wednesday 25th August

Dealer:♠Q8732Book
Bidding

South♥ JWestNorth(A)EastSouth

both vul ♦A753---1♠

♣
AJ5pass4♥(1)pass6♠

all pass

♠ 5N♠ 64

♥ Q84WE♥ 109753(1)What
did you bid with this North hand A in

♦Q1082S♦Kthis week’s quiz?
This 4♥
splinter bid is best

♣
K10962♣ Q8743and
Jacoby 2NT is best reserved for hands

♠ AKJ109with no shortage.

♥
AK62

♦ J964

♣ -

West leads a low ♦, declarer plays the
♦A from dummy and East plays the ♦K – most likely a true card and so a singleton.
What is the best play for twelve tricks?

After declarer took the first trick he drew trumps and then led a ♦ from dummy and knew his fate when East
discarded, West got two ♦ tricks to defeat
the contract.

♠Q8If declarer judges that the ♦K is singleton he can

♥ -make the contract. He discards a ♦ on the ♣A
at

♦75trick
two and ruffs a ♣, draws trumps, cashes the

♣
-♥AK, ruffs a ♥ and ruffs dummy’s last ♣.

♠ -N♠ -That leaves this position, South then leads his

♥ -WE♥ 109last ♥ and when West discards, declarer discards

♦Q108S♦-a ♦ from dummy.

♣
K♣
Q8East
wins but must concede the contract. He

♠ Jmust lead a ♥ or a ♣ and declarer ruffs in hand

♥
6and
discards dummy’s last ♦.

♦ J9

♣ -

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♠+2 and 6♠-1
five times. Mind you, I know that a ♦
was not led at the majority of tables.

Paul’s Column

Perfect Shape doubles

If you recall I wrote last year about making light take-out doubles
with perfect shape and as little as 10 hcp. Examine board 5 from
Wednesday for an example of what I mean. While I can't identify the
precise cards without a recap sheet I know I was 4-4-4-1 with the singleton ♣A and a
lesser honor in every 4 card suit and heard 1♣ to my right
(North). I doubled, my partner Terry bid 1♥ after a pass, and
opener was slightly handcuffed at that point with his balanced 18. 1♥ by my
partner played for 9 tricks and the only E/W plus. Yet another example of
getting in and out early if you have the shape.

Terry Comment. I found the board, and
here it is with my additional comments:

Dealer:♠J10WestNorthEast(E)South(B)

North♥AQ8-1♣dbl(1)pass(2)

N-S vul ♦AJ851♥pass(3)passpass(4)

♣
KQJ3

♠ A86N♠ Q974

♥ K1065WE♥ J942

♦43S♦K976

♣
8652♣ A

♠ K532

♥
73

♦ Q102

♣ 10974

(1)What did you bid with this East hand E in this
week’s quiz? This is classic take-out double shape. It would be better if the ♣A was in one of the other suits, but double is
fine.

(2)1♠
is a pushy but not unreasonable alternative.

(3)1NT is an alternative here, but to bid is very
dangerous, even with 18 points; LHO has shown values sitting over you and you
have no good suit. You have a partner and if he understands balancing then 1♥ will probably not get passed out, and so this
pass is fine.

(4)What did you bid with this South hand B in this
week’s quiz? This is the balancing seat and you should not let the opponents
play peacefully in 1♥. I would double,
with 1♠ or 2♣
being less attractive alternatives.

and heard after two passes a weak 2♥ opening to his right. What did you
bid with this hand C in this week’s quiz? There is obviously no perfect
solution here, a double getting a 3♣ response from partner (if not playing
Lebensohl in this position) leaves you with 2 unattractive options .... 3♦ on a crap
suit or 3NT opposite what may be a bust with long clubs.

2♠ is obviously a bit short on length in the suit, 3♦ is
inadequate with this strength and suit weakness. The "least of
evils" call I chose was 2NT which at least expressed the strength and
heart stop. After Janne transferred with 3♥ to 3♠ he rebid
3NT and I was only delighted to convert to 4♠. When a club
was led and won and then continued and I ruffed his jaw dropped, but we had
reached the optimal spot. When the opponents made a slight error in
discarding I took 12 tricks. Afterward he questioned the 2NT call but
after hashing out the alternatives agreed it was probably the least flawed bid
in a situation that demanded some positive action.

His hand was:♠ Jxxxx♥ Ax♦ QJx♣ xxx

<end of Paul’s Column>

No Psyches PleaseNorth board 23 from Wednesday 25th August

Hand D What
did you do with this North hand D in this week’s quiz?

♠ J1097542With just
one point, a 2♠ opening (as chosen by one individual) is

♥ 5totally
unacceptable. At our club the “Australian rule of 15 for pre-empts”

♦3applies
and this is only 12. Fourteen is acceptable but not twelve.

♣
10763As this is the third time that this individual has
psyched in his short time

at the club he was automatically awarded a zero
score.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A:4♥, a splinter agreeing ♠’s. This is better
that Jacoby 2NT which is best used to show hands with no shortage.

Hand B:dbl, take-out. You do not want to sell out to 1♥ and partner must have a decent hand. It is
good practice to balance with minimal values when at a low level when partner
is marked with a good hand.

Hand C:2NT. A No-Trump overcall with a small singleton
is perfectly acceptable (unlike a 1NT opening). Here it is much better than a
double which is likely to get a 3♣
response and leave you without recourse, but doubtless 90% of readers will
indeed double and then go into a long think when partner bids the expected 3♣?

Hand D:pass, obviously. This is not enough for any
sort of opening and is only twelve for the Australian rule of 14/15 for
pre-emptive openings.

Hand E:dbl. This is the classic shape for a take-out
double.

Hand F:pass. Deduct a point for the 4333 type shape
and it’s not worth an opener.

Bidding Sequence Quiz Answer

G1NTpass3♦This
is up to you, but it is often played as a 6 card ♦ suit and

invitational to 3NT (about 6-7 points).

H1NT2♥3♦3♦ here is best played
as forcing, with a weak ♦ hand go through